Lifetimes
by Moonshine 369
Summary: Looking back on all that had happened, it was just another lifetime. 104 unrelated themes, no pairings. Chapter 7- Heaven.
1. Introduction

**Ah, it feels so nice to post something again. -inhales-**

**So this is just a themes fic and nothing more. Themes will be somewhere between 100-500 (600 when I can't stop myself) words and will, for the most part, be unrelated, with no general pairing. (If I do stick a pairing in there it means that all my willpower crumbled, and I'll post a warning/notice at the top of the chapter as a... courtesy? I don't know, stop asking me hard questions.)**

**I'm going to be doing 104 themes so that, posting once a week (most often on Fridays unless, of course, I don't have computer access) the whole thing will span out over two years. **

**And, yeah. If you can't tell, I didn't know if this was supposed to be an introduction to the themes, or if I was just supposed to build off of the prompt, so I kind of combined them and did both.**

**Hopefully this is the last time the a/n is so long.**

**So, yep. Without further ado...**

**Title: Introduction  
Fiction Rating: K  
Characters: The Elric Brothers  
Word Count: 214**

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**I - Introdution**

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Edward and Alphonse had never seen simply facts and stats and data in the countless books and guides that their father had left behind for their prying hands, like most others did. Beyond the words and facts and instructions, the Elrics didn't just see information. They saw potential.

Though young and small, the brothers were far from little in the nature of intelligence, a trait they had inherited from their absent father. And with the combination of intellect, information, and potential, their actions, their _lives_ would be limitless.

It was not the life they lead as children, studying and learning and growing, or the love they were shown from birth, nor was it the happiness or memories or power that they harbored at such youth that allowed them to see life's true meaning, _it's_ potential. It was not in life itself that they were introduced to the world.

It was in death.

For it was in death that they were taught, by no kind means, that there were indeed things in the world for which there was no sacrifice in existence, equivalent exchange or no, that could surmount such barriers.

In a world where equivalent exchange ruled, after all, it only made sense that they could only be introduced to true _life_ through death.


	2. Love

**Title: Love  
Fiction Rating: K  
Characters: The Elric Brothers  
Word Count: 281**

**A/N: Al has always been my favorite tin can.**

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**2- Love**

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Though he'd known his brother literally from the day he was born, sometimes Al still found him hard to understand. Not just that, but more than often Al thought that Ed preferred it that way.

His brother was perfectly stupid sometimes, and Al would truly never understand. He was strong and stubborn, ambitious and a true fighter, and that, Al supposed, was what made him cold. Or at least Ed liked to think that.

Al, however, knew him far too well to fall for that nonsense; he was never fooled when Ed rolled his eyes or insulted someone behind their back, because, Al knew, the more Ed testified to disliking someone, the more he cared for them.

Be it Lieutenant Hughes, Winry, or, yes, even Colonel Mustang, Ed might be able to fool others with those acts, but never Al. It must have made Ed feel more secure having a shell of defense outside of his heart, and Al could understand. He, after all, had been right by Ed's side as he underwent every horror that life put him through.

Even in regards to Al himself, sometimes, Ed seemed cold and indifferent, maybe without meaning to. He'd put into practice the actions so many times, Al figured, that it'd become something of a habit to act that way towards everyone.

Al never had to worry, though, because when it came to Ed, actions spoke louder than words. And Ed's rock hard, glinting auto-mail arm was more than symbolic enough of Ed's action all those years ago, the price in blood he'd paid out of love for Al's life. And no matter how cold Ed could act, that would never go away.


	3. Light

**A/N: I've always been really intrigued by the creepy little creatures in the gate. This probably one of my favorite themes in the lot.**

**Title: Light  
Fiction Rating: K  
Characters: Edward Elric  
Word Count: 171**

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**3- Light**

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It was the only way he could think to describe it. Bright. It was as if the light from the sun, multiplied by one thousand, was being forced into his mind all at once, although the place was dim. It was a contradiction in and of itself.

There was a cold chill about the place, though he couldn't describe the true temperature or air density or anything. The space that housed The Gate was nothing but blank, empty air, after all. A place where no sense existed, no feeling, no time, and certainly no light. So where was this queer sensation coming from?

And haloed by a misty black fog, the chilling, grinning Truth seemed even brighter than his pale white backdrop.

Even after years of studying and theorizing and trying to understand after his visit with The Truth, Ed would never come anywhere close to understanding it.

All he knew was that when he was released from that horrible purgatory, the world, in comparison, seemed a hell of a lot dimmer.


	4. Dark

**A/N: Bit of a different mood here. (Animeverse) Wrath is a bit OOC, but I enjoyed writing this one. Until I reread it. Then I just felt silly. **

**Title: Dark  
Fiction Rating: T  
Characters: Wrath, Envy  
Word Count: 348**

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**4- Dark**

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It dawned on Wrath suddenly, and he decided to present the problem with the only person he knew who always seemed to have an answer.

"Hey, Envy?"

Since they were active primarily at night and Dante was always off playing the role of pathetic human, things around the homunculi's lair tended to be slow on days like these. Envy seemed to be one of the most affected by this dry spell in excitement, seconded mainly by Wrath himself. The green haired homunculus was found easily as he normally was, sitting in Dante's study at her desk, his feet propped up amidst the papers as if he owned the place. He reclined in the chair as if he was attempting to sleep. The idea!

He leaned forward to look at his junior, an expression of exasperation painted on his face immediately. "What is it, kid?"

"Well, how come all of us always wear dark stuff?"

Envy quirked an eyebrow, clearly not amused.

"I'm serious!" Wrath fanned out his arms, looking down at his own attire like it was the first time he'd ever seen it. "None of us ever wear anything bright. Why is that?"

As Envy considered the question, his face slowly lit up, though slightly, in mild interest. "Because, you little shit, we're the bad guys."

Wrath squinted slightly, wondering quietly how, exactly, that was supposed to clear things up.

"Think about it." Envy used his hand to help him climb onto Dante's desk, regarding her papers as if they didn't exist. "What do murder, hatred, sadness, and death all have in common? They're all associated with darkness." He squatted at the edge of Dante's desk, leaning inches away from Wrath's face. "What else?"

Wrath gave Envy a look that clearly said "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"They're all things that we bring about."

Graceful as always, Envy slid off of the desk, striding smoothly out of the door before he could hear (or perhaps purposely ignoring) Wrath's yearningly dissatisfied, "But _why_?"


	5. Seeking Solace

**A/N: I'm a (closet) fan of EdxAlfons, so obviously a lot of restraint was used in writing this and keeping in neutral. Also, I had to look up what 'solace' meant.**

**Title: Seeking Solace  
Fiction Rating: K  
Characters: Ed, Alfons Heiderich  
Word Count: 204**

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**5- Seeking Solace**

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It was convenient, to say the least, the way that things worked out, Alfons had to admit.

He'd been raised to be and had simply always been a man of reason, and tended to govern his life as appropriated to such logic. To everything there was an explanation, and anything without one should be marked as illogical or suspicious.

However, in this situation, Alfons had no choice but to make an exception.

Fate was cruel, it was true, but when something like this fell into his lap, he found that it was most logically to just _ignore_ logic, and accept one of fate's few kindnesses, despite his raging suspicion that it would soon all be pulled out from under him. In his moments of need, he'd take anything he could get.

And what were the chances? The chances of him meeting a man, a friend, who looked exactly like his brother, and whose own brother looked exactly like Alfons? It was most likely one of fate's cruel deceptions that would soothe their aching hearts for a temporary time, but Alfons didn't care.

Because when a solace like this fell into his lap, it easily smothered any remnants of logic he could still rely on.


	6. Break Away

**Happy Holidays, everyone! I skipped a post last week because it was Christmas and I was really busy, so I'm going to post today and tomorrow to make up for it and keep on schedule. Thanks for you patience. Also, many thanks to all readers/favers/alert-ers/reviewers so far. **

**A/N: I think I'm one of the few people in the fandom who actually likes Winry, and that's partially because she's so much fun to write. She's just got so much raw character! ;swoons;**

**Title: Break Away  
****Fiction Rating: K  
Characters: Winry  
Word Count: 345**

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**6- Break Away**

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Pink disgusted her, and she indulged in dirt and grime and filth. Her idea of fanciness was a skirt that reached her knees, and she considered her skin covered enough with just a band of black around her chest. While most girls preferred to shop or gossip or bond, Winry would much rather spend days on end working on auto-mail, her personal heaven in the form of oil and screws and tools and metal.

She never asked anyone to understand her, or even try for that matter. She just wanted people to let her be.

Her least favorite times of the year, probably, were when she and Granny, though they rarely ever did, made visits to their family members for holidays or other sentimental occasions.

With a hundred times more tact than she had, of course none of the women would say allowed what they really thought of her traits and indulgences, but she could see their critiquing eyes as clearly as fireflies on a starless night. Although she wasn't quite sure if it was the offense she took that made her hands ball into fists or the fact that she'd very much like to punch all of them, and she assumed it, very firmly, the latter.

Winry had never been a normal girl, and she never would be. She broke away from every stereotype, every guideline or expectation of '_a proper young lady_' that had ever existed. Reasonably, she'd never really classified herself as a normal girl, and that in itself freed her from many of the shackles of everyday life otherwise.

So why was it that when it came to emotion and sentimentality, she was _such_ a girl?

Of course, that didn't apply to sentimentality about _everything_. Really, it only applied to _two _things. Ed and Al Elric, that was.

She wished, in that, she could be more different from the rest as well, and brush it off the way Ed and Al did, but she knew she would never have that capability.

Sometimes she thought she'd rather be a pink loving, gossiping, shopaholic, _normal_ girl.


	7. Heaven

**Well, the Holidays are rolling out, and I'm hoping to have a bit more free time once school starts up again (opposite of the way you'd think it'd go, hm?) so hopefully I'll get more writing done.**

**A/N: Ed's just a bit too stubborn for his own good sometimes.**

**Title: Heaven  
Fiction Rating: K+  
Characters: Ed, Alfons Heiderich  
Word Count: 364**

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**7- Heaven**

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"Hey Ed?"

Ed turned over in his bed to face Al, who was sitting against the wall of the small room, having testified more than once that it was more comfortable in his insomnia to sit up than to lay down.

Throughout the years, Ed had learned to use Al's tone of voice as an indicator of expression, since he could no longer depend on his facials for that. The tone in his voice was sentimental, distant and thoughtful.

"What is it?" Ed had been laying awake himself, actually, staring at the ceiling and letting hundreds of various thoughts storm through his head. Al must have seen that he was awake, Ed knew, or he'd never risk waking him from his sleep.

"Where do you think we'll go after we die?"

Ed felt his eyes rolling into the back of his head. He hated questions like that. They were pointless and foolish, and whenever he answered them honestly, the questioner was always offended or sulked for the rest of the day, and he didn't need that.

"Al…"

"I know, I know, Brother. You don't believe in anything like that."

"Then why are you asking?"

Ed could hear Al's armor shifting slightly, a series of a few quiet clinks that Ed had heard countless times.

"I was just thinking." The tone in his voice now picked up with a childlike curiosity. "Well… Wouldn't it be nice to know if there was something nicer after this?"

Ed sighed.

"So that we could know that Mom was more comfortable now?"

Ed's breath caught in his throat; he hadn't been expecting that. Nor had he ever considered that, but it was completely true. If anyone deserved a more comfortable life than her first, it was their mother.

A pregnant silence seeped through the room as Ed considered it. Maybe… Maybe all of those things weren't such awful theories?

"I guess you're right, Al," he mumbled, and then turned onto his side to gaze out the window. The stars in the night's sky twinkled back at him like winking eyes.

"I guess we could all use a heaven."


End file.
